And here's a report with some pictures, including a video of the tiger, "Ming", in his flat. Antoine apparently got bitten stopping him going for a pet kitten he'd brought home - all cats do tend to get jealous when you do that.

"Defense lawyer Raymond Colon said his client lied to hospital doctors in New York, saying he had been bitten by a pit bull, because he feared authorities would destroy his tiger.

'There was no criminal intent here, and he tried as much as possible not to be reckless,' Colon said."

Antoine really does sound more and more like Hagrid from Harry Potter - apparently he used to have a lion. He's quoted as saying he was "trying to create a Garden of Eden, something that this world lacks."

Another of those "only in America" stories - not as crazy as the news about Arnie in California, of course, but definitely pretty weird.